My recipes and inspiration, from my hometown of Chicago to my favorite places to visit. I love to cook and eat in season, so most of my recipes and meals are affordable. I've combined a love of good food and some serious couponing skills to make meals that are restaurant worthy while spending less.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Lately, I have been on a wicked chicken kick - I cannot seem to have enough chicken. Well, my craving has really centered around chicken strips, but I really needed to give the standard strip a new twist. I surprised myself with the new take on chicken, combining my love of ginger pad thai with some limes I needed to use up and came up with this recipe.

I served it with fried rice and salad - though for kids, it could pair with a potato and would be awesome served in a tortilla with shredded cabbage or lettuce, chipotle-infused sour cream, and a little cilantro. This recipe is definitely a keeper and doesn't require a lot of money to make.

Cut chicken into strips or bite sized pieces, if you prefer.
Heat oil in a deep skillet (2-3" of oil in the bottom of skillet) to 350F.

In small batches, add chicken to the wet mixture and let set 1 minute.
Transfer chicken to the dry mixture and toss well to coat. Shake of excess breading and add chicken to the hot oil. Fry until golden on both sides, about 1-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel.

Using a mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter on medium-low speed until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar to the mixer bowl and continue beating until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs, on at a time, mixing well after each egg. Mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined, stir in the white chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky.

Pour half of the batter to the prepared pan, drop in the raspberries evenly, then top with the remaining batter and smooth the top.

Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, top should be golden brown. Cool the cake, then transfer to a large plate.

Glaze:
Whisk together all ingredients and pour over cooled cake.
Serve while warm or room temperature.

Directions
In a medium sized bowl, combine all dry seasonings and add vinegar, wine, lemon juice, and water - stir well. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking while you drizzle to full incorporate.

Tasty Tapas Idea:
Try this marinade on boneless pork chops (cut 1" or thicker).
Marinade 1-2 hours and remove from marinade and fry lightly in a nonstick skillet on medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to the oven (heat to 350F) for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F). Cool 5-10 minutes, slice thin and serve on a crusty baugette slice or hard roll wedge with a few spinach leaves and a small piece of munster cheese.

Using a mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter on medium-low speed until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar to the mixer bowl and continue beating until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs, on at a time, mixing well after each egg. Blend in the almond and the vanilla extracts. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined. The dough will be sticky.

Pour half of the batter to the prepared pan, drop in the blueberries evenly, then top with the remaining batter and smooth the top.

Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, top should be golden brown. Cool the cake, then transfer to a large plate.
Glaze:
Whisk together all ingredients and pour over cooled cake.
Serve while warm or room temperature.

Copyright stuff

All the recipes listed here are my originals, except where otherwise stated. Feel free to use my recipes, but if please do not reproduce them without giving credit to their author, namely me.If any recipes here are not my originals, I have credited their author, publication house, magazine, etc.Thank you and happy eating.

About Me

Hi, I'm Annie - a 30-something, Chicagoland almost-foodie that loves spending less, but I'm big on flavor.
I started this blog to catalog my recipes and make it easier to share my favorite eats and treats.
I try to make recipes that are easily affordable, but make no mistake, I want full flavor on a tight budget.